Summer Lives On This August!

By Sabina Manji

Authors seem to want to paint August as an end to all that is great about summer. Sylvia Plath describes August as “the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born.” Sara Dessen pens, “If June was the beginning of a hopeful summer, and July the juice middle, August was suddenly feeling like the bitter end.” Lastly, Henry Rollins writes, “August used to be a sad month for me. As the days went on, the thought of school starting weighed heavily upon my young frame.”

But here at The Mom & Caregiver, we find August to be an exciting month. There is still much of summer to enjoy (after all, we still have the Civic Holiday and Labour Day long weekends ahead of us!) plus the “getting back on schedule” of fall to plan for and look forward to.

Let’s talk summer first, of course! Do you know what a LCNC summer is? This term was new to us too, but Dad, Jeremy McCall, explains it’s a Low Cost No Cost August at his house (page 08). From a jumbo box of freezies to counting Cheerios at breakfast, he’s brimming with ideas to save you and the kiddos cash this month.

We’re half way through summer and your feet hurt. Do you know why? Look down at your flip flops and you might get the answer. Our friends at Custom Orthotics give you some better options to get your tootsies back in shape on page 21.

The summer heat isn’t going away anytime soon, so please continue to be safe, especially with your infants and toddlers! Seek air-conditioned buildings, put them in a wide-brimmed hat, and for the most fun, visit a splash pad! Find more tips from the Middlesex London Health Unit on page 06.

That brings us to back-to-school prep! If you’re looking to ease into this transition (which is always a terrific idea!), then you won’t want to miss “Screen Time and Sleep” (page 07) by our favourite family physician, Dr. Bhayana. You’ll also want to catch “Easing Back into Back to School” (page 13) for easy and yummy school lunch ideas.

So families – get out there and enjoy all the awesomeness August has to bring!

Sabina Manji, a lifelong Londoner, is an irrepressible entrepreneur, mother of a wonderful son, and also a committed volunteer.